Space Balloon

NASA presents a six-meter high inflatable spacecraft.

Researchers have tested an inflatable structure, six meters in diameter, that is part of NASA’s investigation into inflatable spacecrafts. The 40-by-80 foot test section of the National Full-Scale Aerodynamic Complex (NFAC) is located at NASAS’s Ames Research Center and operated by the United States Air Force.

The test is part of NASA Space Technology’s research efforts to develop inflatable spacecraft systems that could change the way we explore other worlds. The hypersonic inflatable aerodynamic decelerator (HIAD) is just one project within the Space Technology Program.